Savior
by lancecomwar
Summary: A single action can send the world tumbling down. When the truth of the Cell Games is revealed, Gohan- and the world at large- will have to grapple with what it truly means to be the world's savior
1. A Surprising Revelation

Oh hi guys, long time no write. This is actually a remake/ reboot of sorts of a story/ idea I had a long time ago. However, now I have what I think is a really interesting plan for where I want this to go, and I hope it can speak to you as well. Positive and constructive reviews will help greatly so if you like to know where this story goes, feel free to do so. I'm not really confident in my own writing but I hope you can enjoy it well enough. Anyway, enjoy! Also, am I supposed to say I don't own dragonball? Cause, I mean, I don't, but that's obvious, but whatever. Savor it!

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you… yoooooooooooour saviooooooooooooooooor!"

The cheers echoing throughout the stadium reverberating even louder at the presenter's announcement.A hidden elevator raised in the middle of the stage and, in a flurry of smoke and brandishing his hands as dual peace signs way above his head, the World Savior had arrived.

"SATAN! SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!" For a time, the entire stadium was engulfed in repeating their savior's name over and over, as the man himself soaked in the praise. Smiling to himself, his ego booming with every cy of his name, Mark Satan was content.

"YEAH!" He shouted, single handedly sounding over the entire stadium. The cheers defied the impossible and grew to even greater heights as they heard their hero's voice.

While the crowd was all too willing to shower their savior with cheers, and Mr. Satan was all too willing to feast upon their adoration, the announcer boomed over their voices with his amplified speech. "Mr. Satan! The hero of the entire world! The man who saved us all from the terrifying monstrosity known as Cell, five years ago today!" He paused for dramatic effect, holding a hand to his ear as he listened for the boisterous response to his declaration. Sure enough, a deafening roar pierced the air as they threw praise at their lord and savior.

However, the show had to go on, and the announcer interrupted their cheers. "Mr. Satan, how does it feel to be the strongest man in the world?"

However, before their hero could respond to this inquiry, a strange, twisted laugh boomed throughout the stadium. Immediately, the crowd fell deathly silent as a sudden chill coursed through their veins, as fears of a maniacal demon from the past consumed them. They all looked around frantically, as the voice seemed to come from every which way. And, throughout the world,every man, woman, and animal person staring at a TV where hugging any source of comfort they could obtain- except, peculiarly, for a particular genius, who was nursing a migraine as she muttered about selfish bastards not caring about ramifications, for some odd reason.

Soon, shouts of terror erupted from the crowd as various people finally witnessed a figure descending from the night sky above them. Panic began to take hold, but it was partially replaced by confusion when it was not, in fact, the green insectoid monstrosity they had all feared, but rather an equally scary short man..

Clad in a bright pink shirt and blue spandex pants, and possessing one of the most goofy hairstyles Earth had ever seen, one would not normally expect man of such diminutive size to be much of a threat, even considering his ripped physique. What was terrifying, however, was the fact he was floating down into the arena, no wires or cranes visible- as well as his dark, menacing laugh, and hate filled eyes aimed at their savior.

"So, this is what you weaklings call the Strongest?" the strange man all but spat out as he landed right in front of Mr. Satan, whom several members of the crowd finally noticed was ass down on the floor scooching away. "Pathetic."

In this peculiar situation, someone had to be the brave one to stand up against this intruder laughing in the face of the world hero, and so the announcer stepped up to the task. "Uh… excuse me… Mr. Strange man… sir!" He recoiled in fear as the scary intruder gave him a pointed glare, but worked up the courage to continue when the intruder made no further move. "How can you possibly say something like that to our hero, Mr. Satan?"

At this, the strange man sneered as he crossed his arms.. "Hero? How you people think this oaf could save an ant, let alone the planet, is far beyond me." At this, he paid no more attention to the announcer, and turned to the pale as snow Mr. Satan. "For far too long, I have obeyed the whims of people far better than either of us," he said with cold, unbending malice, as he slowly made his way to the quivering man as his every step echoed like thunder through the silent arena. Whether that silence was due to fear or curiosity, who could say?

"But I will no longer let this fraud spit on the graves and legacy of _true_ warriors." And, with that, the strange man grabbed the self proclaimed savior of mankind by the chin and lifted him up off the ground and looked him directly in the eyes. Needless to say, Mr. Satan's piss soaked pants grew even wetter for all the world to see as the entire arena- nay, the entire world- all his fans, his business partners, his trainees, even his beloved daughter watched with bated breath.

"So, 'Mr. Satan,' the strange, short, troll haired man spat in the paling man's face. "Who _really_ killed Cell?"

The world watched in stunned silence as their hero spoke. It was not hushed, but rather a voice of pure defeat. "... It was the Delivery Boy."

Vegeta scoffed. "His name is Son Gohan, and he is ten times the man you will ever be." With that, Vegeta lifted off and flew out of the arena, leaving behind a shattered audience.

* * *

 _THUD. THUD. THUD._

"Gohan, Stop that! I have enough to worry about without having to buy a new table!"

As much as the half saiyan teenager wished to continue pounding his head into the nearest flat surface as long as he could, his fear of his mother led him to ober her whim. Not that there was much left of the table for him to bash his head into, anyway.

"How could he do this…" Gohan groaned into his hands, his mother and Bulma staring across the table at him in sympathy.

"How could I do what, boy?" Vegeta himself scoffed as he entered the room, his arms cross in a prideful display as he eyed the half breed currently sulking pathetically. "Give you a speck of the honor you've so willingly thrown away?"

"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped at him, her teeth clenched and almost frothing as she stared down the short, intimating former invader. "Do you not think before you act?"

Despite his woman's rage, the Prince merely rolled his eyes. "If anyone on this mudhole of a planet doesn't think, it'd have been that oaf's cultish followers. Believe me, all I did was do them all a favor."

"... Favor?" Gohan spoke plainly, his tone expressionless as he stared at the man who has caused so much trouble throughout his life. "You call… everyone that I killed Cell- without my permission, might I add- a _favor_?!" Gohan's voice flaired as he spoke as did his ki to the point Bulma and Chichi backed off as the surrounding area began to quake at his rising anger.

"I restored your honor, boy!" Vegeta snapped back, his conviction unwavering. "And you call yourself a Saiyan."

Gohan's eye twitched. "No! I don't! I'm half human! I grew up on Earth! I'm not a battle junkie like you, or or my Dad, or the rest of the Saiyans!"

"Is that why you beat yourself half to death every week with the Namekian?" Vegeta countered.

"You know why I do that! I need to protect the world!"

"Yes, yes, I'm well are of your 'excuse'. Honestly, I don't get get you you bother lying to yourself. You're a Saiyan, whether you like it or not."

Gohan buried his head in his hands. That was not what he wanted to argue about. No, what he wanted was to crawl into a hole and die, but that option was completely off the table.

Vegeta sighed. Even he could tell he was getting nowhere with this angle of attack. Better appeal to the other half of the boy, then.

"Brat, have you ever considered that this world deserves to know the truth?" he said, his usual high and mighty demeanor replaced by a quiet, oddly human tone.

At this, Gohan, as well as the onlooking Bulma and Chichi, stared at the man with wide eyes. That… almost sounded like a compliment?

Vegeta flinched, fighting back a burgeoning blush, before continuing. He had to win this fight, after all. "Think about it. Be letting that oaf take the credit, you are not just disrespecting you and your father, but this entire planet's history. Even if their skill pales in comparison to my own, martial artists on this rock have used ki throughout the ages with proficiency.

"What that buffoon has done by spitting in their legacy is to deny this planet the chance to honor their history. You are merely putting a cloak over their eyes, keeping their true potential from them and denying them their true abilities."

"Vegeta…" Gohan whispered in true disbelief.

"Don't get me wrong!" Vegeta huffed as he turned his head, trying desperately to hide a slight red tinge in his cheeks. "Humans would never reach the levels of a true Saiyan warrior! But those old companions of your father show what humans are capable of… if only they have the opportunity."

Gohan blinked. Once. Again. Despite himself and his own anxiety over the future, his face spelt grew into a large grin. "Ya know, Vegeta. I know you only said that in order to get me to calm down… but hearing you say you have faith in humans does make me want to give them a chance." His grin only grew larger at Vegeta's hurried attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"But Gohan," Bulma interjected, finally making her way into the saiyan on saiyan battle of words now that the dust was clearing. " Vegeta told everyone your name. You can't keep the press from finding out who you are. I thought you wanted to live a normal life?"

"Please, women," Vegeta scoffed. "He's a halfbreed, one of the last bearers of the bloodline of a legendary warrior race. He became one of the strongest fighters in the universe as a mere child. He fought Frieza, the emperor of the Universe and scourge of countless races, when he was a mere toddler. And even now, he still trains to be the strongest. A "normal life" Was never in the life for the boy."

A moment of silence passed as the other three processed this. It was Chichi who broke the silence, with a chuckle. As the others turned to her in confusion, it soon boomed into full on, maniacal laughter.

"Mom…? Gohan asked worriedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie, it's just…" Chichi took a moment to compose herself before turning to her son with a bittersweet smile. "I just never thought Vegeta would say something so wise." She completely ignored the disheveled grunt this incited. "He's right. You were never going to be just a bookish scholar. There's so much more you have to do, than you want to do. You… you are Goku's son, after all."

"Mom…" Gohan whispered, staring at her with awed eyes. "I- I promise. No matter what, I will study, and I will make use of my brain, and II will make you proud."

"Oh sweetie, you've always made me proud…" Chichi smiled at her eldest son, even as tears began to form upon her eyes.

"This, of course, does call to mind another matter…" Bulma said, interrupting the familial bonding. "The world may know the truth, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll accept it right away. They need proof."

"They didn't need proof when it was that oaf," Vegeta grumbled to himself from the corner, but Bulma ignored him.

"This is quite the leap of faith for them to make. And even if they do accept right away, they need reassurance that you have their best interest in heart."

"Please, as if my Gohan had anything but everyone's best interest at heart," Chichi waves her hand dismissively at the mere idea.

Bulma sighed. As hard as it would have been for her to understand a few short years earlier, now that she had a son of her own, the unending faith of a mother for her child was all too familiar to her. "Think about it. For five years, they believed the strongest man in the world wasn't even able to lift a car, and that people couldn't fly or shoot energy beams out of their hands.

"Then one day, some scary man flys in on live tv, declaring it's all a hoax and scaring the hell out of everyone at once. How do they know these flying supermen have their best interests at heart? There's got to be some panic going around."

Silence loomed in the room. "So… what do you propose we do?" Gohan asked.

Chuckling to herself, Bulma could only reply, "Looks like I've got to call an impromptu press conference…"

* * *

"How… How could you?"

"Sweatpea- I…"

" _Don't_. Sweatpea me." The daughter of Mr Satan could feel her rage reach a boiling point as her father backed himself into a corner. To think, a few short hours ago, she thought this shivering mess before her was the strongest and bravest man on the planet.

Nevertheless, the man continued his ramblings. "Videl, I- things happened so fast, I didn't-"

"What? You didn't think about what you were doing?" Videl scowled, her rage boiling even higher. "You didn't think about the Delivery Boy? You didn't think about his dad? Your fans? The people who loved you, believed in you? You didn't think about me? About lying to your own daughter?"

"Of course I-"

"Stop it. Just… I need to be alone," Videl grumbled, her feet ringing with a deathly toll as she stomped away from her quivering father into the vast, empty halls of their ill gotten mansion.

And thus, the man was left alone flat on the ground, clutching the rug desperately as if it were his last grasp on reality. At long last, tears fell freely from his eyes as the weight of what he had done finally crashed down upon him.

"Videl… I'm so sorry..."


	2. Facing the Music

Oh hey a new chapter. Thanks for much for the kind words and follows last time, I can only hope this also live up to your expectations. Sorry for the length, I just... can't write too long chapters. I'd never get done then. Hopefully this is good enough. Don't forget to review and enjoy hopefully!

I would also just like to remind everyone that I do have a longterm plan, like I already know how I want the ending to go, so hopefully I don't get bored before I get there.

* * *

A few mere hours later, there was chaos.

At first, many of the true believers desperately wanted to believe it was all a trick, a hoax, that their savior was brainwashed or replaced or it was all a mere misunderstanding.

Mr Satan soon out a stop to such hopes.

Mr. Satan explained, on live TV, to a chorus of boos and jeers unthinkable to the world a few short hours earlier, how it was a boy who laid his life on the line for the world while he was cowering behind a rock. How the boys father died in the process, how the boy broke his arm and fought on. How they vanished without a trace, and how he stole the credit, in his own words, "for the fame and glory".

And so, the police of the still-Satan City found themselves in quite a pickle: staring down an unruly mob of their own citizens gone berserk.

"Please, step away from the barricade and return to your places of residence!" One of the officer boomed on his megaphone in an attempt to control the chaos, but to little avail.

The cop instinctively flinched as a garbage can was thrown directly above him, followed swiftly by jeers and insults as the horde drew closer.

"We want Satan!"

"Stop protecting fakes!"

The policemen grit their teeth and hunkered down in front of the makeshift barricade, the last line of defense protecting this unruly mob from the home of the champ himself. Regardless of their own feelings on the man, they were preparedto defend the mansion from the oncoming hordes.

High above the riots, two bald monks shook their heads in disappointment.

"Geez, Tien. I never would have thought they'd react this poorly…"

"It makes sense, in a twisted way," Tien said sagely as his unwavering eyes stared deep into the heart of the chaos. "To them, Satan was more than a hero, he was the very simple of peace and justice. To have that stripped from them so casually and suddenly would decimate them."

"Still, to think Vegeta would do this so suddenly, without asking any of us first…"

"I'd be more surprised if he thought of anyone but himself first," Tien scoffed at the thought.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," the shorter monk sighed before returning his gazy to the chaos below. "Still, we should probably do something about that. It is kind of our fault for letting it get to this point, after all, don't ya think?"

"Hm. I suppose we should, Krillin," Tien agreed, before the two of them leaped down.

It took a moment for the crowd to notice them, but soon a few rioters shouted out in shock at the two floating men above them. All at once, the crown silenced. Whether it be more from awe or fear, none could say.

"Attention, people of this city," The taller man boomed down upon them as quietly yet as authoritatively as he could. He could see the fear in their eyes; after what Vegeta did, he did not want to give them any more reason to fear them. "I know that recent events have shaken you to your very core, but this is not the way to deal with these revelations."

The mob might as well not have heard this speech, as they stared at the strange, floating men. Several fell flat down on their asses, gawking and pointing shaking fingers at them. "They're… they're coming for revenge!" One man cried out, backing up as tears began to fall from his eyes.

The shorter bald monk sighed. Was he _really_ that frightening? "Hey, look, we're not here for revenge or whatever," Krillin explained, giving a goofy grin as he rubbed the back of his head. "We just don't think this is the right thing to do, is all."

An awed silence was the response. Tien looked down at his fellow monk. Whether or not it was intentional, Krillin's easy going tone would probably help calm people down better. Goku must have really rubbed off on the man. Still, it just wasn't Tien's style.

"Return back home," Tien said simply. "The true world savior will have a press conference soon enough. Do not do anything to bring shame to his deeds." With that, he and Krillin lifted off before blasting away from the carnage.

The cops and protesters left behind stared slack jawed at the departing super men. For one reason or another, though, be it fear or guilt, the rampaging mob lost all of their willpower and began breaking up.

Meanwhile, a ways back behind the barricade, hiding before a pillar was a young teenage girl in a heavy jacket and hoodie. Although she had wanted to get away, far away from her home, the bloodthirsty mob had put a stop to her escape plan. In her attempts to get away from both her home and the crowd, however,she had witnessed the two strange flying men.

Although she had seen another flying man before at the anniversary celebration that kickstarted this whole thing, there was something strange about those men, as if they were… more normal. More human. More… achievable.

Videl Satan had spent her life in pursuit of becoming the strongest. For most of it, she had thought she only had to surpass her dad, that she had already become one of the best fighters. But now, to see so many people more powerful than she could have possibly imagined?

Despite herself, she smirked. Perhaps… this was a test. A test to not only become the strongest, but to move past the name Satan. To become the strongest despite her father.

All she needed was to learn their secret.

* * *

"Mooooooooooooooooooooom…"

"Don't "mom" me," Chichi reprimanded, as she continued combing her blushing son's hair. "You're about to show yourself to the world. The least you can do is make yourself look presentable enough."

"Look, Chi, you're my friend, so you know I mean no offense," Bulma sighed as she looked at her friend's work. "But if he goes out like this, he won't exactly… look the part."

Gohan blushed hader as he tried to shrink away into himself, trying desperately to hide from the two women in his life's attempts to dress him up. Nevertheless, he could not escape his fate.

"What are you saying? My Gohan looks absolutely dashing!"

"Chi, look," Bulma sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumped. "A bowl cut is not "dashing" these days."

"Well then what do you-"

Gohan sighed, tuning out the argument. He had to focus on the actual trial ahead.

It was easy enough for Bulma to use her connections to arrange this press conference. What was going to be the hardest part, though, was actually getting up on stage.

He would have to address the crowd- nay, the world, and try to calm them all down.

What would he tell them? That he was hybrid alien from an extinct warrior race? That those energy blasts were, in fact, tricks? That his powers were genetic? That anyone could achieve them?

It was true that ki was technically accessible to humans- they just needed to train their bodies to withstand it. But such power would literally turn them into humans weapons. It would take a vast amount of effort for one to blow up the planet, but if nefarious ne'er do wells trained hard enough, they could potentially amass enough power to level a city. Even if that would take a while, surely the potential arms race was cause for concern? As villains trained and gained strength, the protectors would need to raise their own power to combat this menace. This arms race could prove dangerous rather quickly.

In a strange way, by stealing the credit Mr. Satan may have actually saved the world- from itself.

Gohan shook his head. No. He had to believe in humanity. It was too late to consider any other alternative.

Suddenly, he stood up, surprising the two women still arguing. He shook his head, freeing his hair from its bowl cut prison to his normal style. He smiled as best he could.

"I'm ready."

* * *

The arena was much quieter than it was a few short days ago.

No more were there calls for their hero, nor excited whispers nor chanting. Now, there was only a hushed silence as the press, the dignitaries, the honored guests awaited their savior.

Not the man they had grown accustomed to calling that, no. Now, it was a teenage boy, who had vanquished the evil bug man as a mere child with his magical powers.

The reality of what had happened weighed down upon them all.

And so, they waited. None knew what would happen or what this strange boy would say. All they knew was that the CEO of Capsule Corp, for whatever reason, had arranged this whole press conference.

No one had heard anything from the boy himself. There were reports of strange flying men flying around, breaking up riots the globe over, but no reported sightings of the mysterious Son Gohan. Martial arts historians were able to recognize the name from the famous fighter from years prior, and the general consensus was that he was the son of the previous martial arts champion Son Goku. But anything else, from where their powers came from to why they opted to live in secret till now, was unknown to them.

At last, the moment had arrived.

His entrance was none too flashy, the direct opposite of what they were used was the loud speakers with the theme song now permanently burned in everyone's minds. No more elaborate poses or fancy footwork. Not even the shining, golden, otherworldly hair some were expecting. Just a tall, skinny teenager, nervous as all hell.

Gohan took a moment to gather his were a lot more people here than he expected, and he had to fight to keep the speech he had practiced verbatim from slipping away into nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"Hello, people of Earth. I… am Son Gohan, and I believe I owe you an apology.

"Five years ago, with the help of my friends and father, I defeated the monstrosity known as Cell. However, despite defeating an evil monster that killed and harmed so many, I was still an eleven year old boy who just lost his father. In my grief, all I wanted was to be left alone.

"However, in my desire for peace, I have neglected my duty to all of you. I let another man take the credit for my actions, and in doing so, have unintentionally aided pulling the curtains over all of your eyes.

"I am here to inform you that, yes, I was the one who killed Cell five long years ago. And that, yes, those light attacks we used are, in fact, real, and not tricks."

With that, he raised his hand to the silent crowd and conjured up an energy ball in the palm of his hand.

"This… is ki. Simply speaking, it is the life force of every living being on earth. Including each and every one of you. Although it takes harsh training and a lot of work… This power is achievable by all."

With that, he withdrew his hand, dismissing the ball of ki in the process "I tell you this, because I realize now I was helping keep the truth of the matter from everyone. In my desire for peace and quiet, I helped keep all of humanity from realizing their full potential. But no more!

"From this day forward, I and my friends will help train capable men and women how to harness their ki. We will build dojos around the world, and teach worthy warriors their potential.

"I can not apologize enough for letting things come this far. But, with your acceptance and patience, we can help bring about a brave new world."

He stared out at the crowd, their faces still frozen at the sight of him. Sweat began to pour down his brow, as he began to mentally question his own speech and plan.

As luck would have it, Bulma herself began clapping. It was slow at first but soon the entire arena erupted in applause. He began to grin, happy that at least things had gone well enough in that regard.

With a bit more confidence, he opened the floor to questions.

* * *

"Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you!"

Gohan awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as his mother pulled him in for a bear hug. "Well, glad things went better than I expected-"

He soon felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to find the culprit was, predictably, his four year old brother, Goten. The kid was predictably not too fussed about the talking, however. "Big bro, can we play now?"

Gohan grinned, before ruffling the little kid's hair. "Later, Goten. Alright?"

Pouting, Goten nonetheless gave out a small, "Alright…"

:So, how do you feel, sweetie?" Chichi asked her eldest son, a big smile still on her face.

"A bit nervous, to be honest with you. Gonna need some time to get used to all of this, you know?"

"Well, it's still just the end of May. You still have a few months before school starts to get used to everything," Chichi said, waving her hand as if it wasn't too big a deal.

Gohan, however, blinked. "Wait. School?"

* * *

"You realize, of course, this boy just opened Pandora's box?"

"I am well aware of that, yes."

"Then what are you planning to do about this?"

"I… I'm not sure. There are certain variables that must be examined-"

"Sir, I must remind you. Flying men with superpowers have suddenly appeared and are offering to grant these destructive capabilities to whomever they see fit."

"... Yes, this could very well prove to be quite a problem."

"Your orders, sir?"

"... Investigate the matter. Don't provoke them as of yet."

"Are you wish."

The sound of footsteps and a closing door followed. The man in the chair sighed as he buried his face in his knuckles.

"You know not what you have unleashed on this world… Son Gohan"


End file.
